What Will It Take?

I'm sure you have all heard of the horrific tragedy from Las Vegas by now. If you have somehow managed to not be in touch with any human or disconnected from everything today, a gunman killed 59 people and injured more than 500 during a concert in Vegas last night. This is the worst mass shooting to happen in the United States. My heart hurts for all of these people who have lost a loved one and those who are lying in hospital beds fighting for their lives. It's all so senseless!! Everyone is sending their thoughts and prayers. But I'm not. What are "thoughts and prayers" going to do? How does that help? What really needs to be done is better gun regulation. Get these automatic weapons off the streets. Limit the amount of ammo you can buy. Introduce a longer wait period... I don't know. Do something. Something is better than nothing. And I don't give a damn about "infringing on second amendment rights". Nobody needs an automatic weapon. Nobody needs that much ammo.

But I have very little faith in Congress, especially after 26 people died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a few years ago, 20 of whom were little children, and they did nothing. Absolutely nothing. They didn't even TRY to do anything. What will it take? The lives of 20 little children wasn't enough. The lives of 49 at a night club wasn't enough. Maybe this time, this shooting in Vegas, will be the turning point??? All of this inaction just proves to me that, to them, money reigns supreme, even more important than the lives of little children. Perhaps the only way for them to act on this is to experience first hand the horrors of gun violence... It all just seems so hopeless.

Tonight, as were hugging and kissing our kids good night, Keith asked Maddie if she knows what to do if someone starts shooting a gun at school. She immediately nodded her head. Her teacher would turn off the lights, lock the door, flip a table over and everyone hide. And nobody makes a sound so that the bad guy won't know that they're there. And last year, as kindergarteners, her class took a "fieldtrip" to the spot where they'd all evacuate to if the school got attacked. It was truly heartbreaking hearing her describe all of this. She's six! We live in such a mad mad world, and awful things are happening at an alarming rate, making all the madness the norm. I can't make any sense of it... Tonight, I just hugged the kids longer and tighter than I normally do. I hope they never have to experience how ugly this world can be. And I hope you and your loved ones remain happy and healthy. That's all I ever ask for...

California is in a drought, people!!

If you were to drive around anywhere in the Bay Area (I'm only mentioning the Bay Area because I live here), you would see no signs that we are in a drought. Not just any drought. But the most severe kind - an "exceptional" drought. Holy crap. That sounds scary, right?! No, many people don't care. Their lawns are still impeccable. Not a blade of yellowed grass to be seen. As long as water still comes out of their faucets and hoses and they're not being billed extra for water, they don't care. They're probably thinking "Not my problem." I've also heard the argument that urban use only takes up about 10% of water usage in California, but agriculture takes up about 40%, so agriculture should decrease usage, not us normal people. Well, kids. Crops need water to grow. People need food to survive, so... That argument makes no sense. Blaming agriculture for using all the water is so selfish. So irresponsible. So nearsighted. Passing the blame doesn't help anybody.

We all need to do our part and save as much as we can, no matter what statistics say. Is it really that important that your lawn stays green? Does your car need to be spotless? No and no.

No More Plastic Bags

San Jose businesses are no longer allowed to give out plastic bags (unless you're a restaurant, I believe). Everyone is to use paper bags now, and even those cost 10 cents each. This law is maybe a month old now, but I wish it had started sooner. True, it is a bit of a nuisance to forget your reusable bag and need to buy one (or however many you need) when you go shopping. The alternative is to not use any bags and just carry your purchases out with your hands. But come on. After you've forgotten a few times, you will eventually remember, and it'll just be routine. What's so wonderful about this law is that it forces people to reuse bags, therefore, reducing waste, saving trees, eliminating a lot of plastic, and hopefully just a little more environmentally aware. I hope this law gets adopted by other cities soon! One for Mother Nature!

World Champions

I've never been a sports fan, let alone a baseball fan, but during the past couple of years, my husband has been trying to introduce to me the world of organized sports. It will probably be a very rare occasion that you find me watching baseball by myself (which I've actually done!), but I have come to "like" the sport, especially when experiencing it at AT&T Park in SF. The atmosphere is always incredible. I don't go just for the game, but for the food, the fans, and when we're lucky, the fireworks! This past year, I've learned a little about our team, the Giants, through my husband and Gary Radnich in the morning. I've come to like the players, like Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey and good ol' Tim Lincecum, something I never would have been able to say last year. As a matter of fact, if you asked me to name ten baseball players that ever played in the MLB, I probably wouldn't be able to do it back then. I knew of Barry Bonds, but who didnt'? But I can now! So as a friend of mine labeled me, I would consider myself to be a "casual fan" of baseball.

Anyway, I don't know what called for the long intro that has barely anything to do with the post, but the San Francisco Giants are the champions in the 2010 World Series! I've never been excited about a sporting event before, but now that I am armed with a little bit of knowledge, I actually am very excited! I definitely do not have the history many of the real fans have, but just hearing their stories, seeing their reactions, reading about their history, and feeling their emotions, brings out the little hidden fan in me too. It's contagious!! My favorite scene was seeing all the players overwhelmed with joy, jumping on each other and embracing with so much emotion. Brings a tear to my eye... and to many others too, I'm sure. It is such a wonderful thing to see something like this bring so many people together.

Well, just wanted to say congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, the underdogs, the misfits! They've been waiting a long time for this moment, and boy, they certainly deserve it. Their performance throughout the post season games has been spectacular, and none of this would be possible without Bruce Bochy. I do feel bad for the Rangers and Pat Burrell though... :(

Go Giants!!!

Photo: AP Photo (http://www.mlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/san_francisco_giants_win_first.html)

P.S. Now, I just hope tickets to next year's games won't be too expensive...

Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Let's make every day an Earth Day, not just one! Remember to conserve, reuse and recycle!!

Fact of the Day: Did you know that less than 2% of plastic bags are recycled?!

8.8 Tremblor Rocks Chile

My heart and prayers goes out to all the victims of the catastrophic 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile last night, followed by already more than 60 aftershocks, 50 of them with a magnitude of 5.0 or higher.

• Saturday's epicenter was just a few miles north of the largest earthquake recorded in the world: a magnitude 9.5 quake in May 1960 that killed 1,655 and unleashed a tsunami that crossed the Pacific.

• Saturday's temblor comes about six weeks after an 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Haiti and killed more than 220,000 people. The Chilean quake, at magnitude 8.8, was 700 to 800 times stronger.

• Coastal Chile has a history of deadly earthquakes, with 13 quakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher since 1973, the USGS said.

• A tsunami warning for Hawaii was lifted Saturday afternoon. Waves of 3 feet were recorded at the city of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, but were lower than expected, and no damage was reported. Meanwhile, tsunami activity was reported on the island of Tasmania, according to officials in Australia.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake/index.html

Year of the Tiger

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!! Hope the year of the tiger will bring you strength, courage, and passion!

7.0 Shaker Rocks Haiti

An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude shook Haiti today. There's massive chaos, destruction, and thousands are believed to be dead. Just a few days ago, Northern California was shaken by a 6.5 quake, and we had two smaller ones in the bay area that same week. The North American plate is sure moving a lot... Many bay area residents may be wondering when the "big one" is going to hit. Hopefully, the plate will just release its tension and shift a tiny bit many times rather than all at once. Fingers crossed! And to all of those in Haiti, my thoughts and prayers are with you...

Conan Loses His Show

This is sad sad news. Conan is the funniest man on television. Will miss you, Conan.
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/conan-o-brien-quits-tonight-show--911

Hoe Hoe Hoe

Melly Kleesmut, Evelybodty!! I weesh you today will be wit many famulee and flend and goot foot!!

The World is NOT Coming to an End

I watched 2012 over the weekend. It was a really entertaining story and the visual effects were pretty awesome, but chances of something like that happening so unlikely. I hope this movie will not instill more fear into people's minds, but looking at our track record of believing everything that we see onscreen, that will probably not happen. All of this rumor about the world ending on December 21, 2012 is so silly. How can you possibly believe all of this cataclysm will happen on a single day? It's absurd to try to say that all of these cultures from all over the planet and different time periods predicted the same thing. Saying that they have come to the same conclusion is such a big stretch. And thank you NASA for saying these fears are stupid and makes no sense. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/afp-nasa-2012-myths.html That's it from me for now. Until next time, my friends.

Farrah Fawcett Passes

One of the first things that occurred to me when I learned of Michael Jackson's death this afternoon was "Man! Michael Jackson is stealing Farrah Fawcett's thunder!" Don't worry, Farrah. There are still many who are thinking of you. I have to admit that I was never really a Farrah fan until now. Even though I loved watching Charlie's Angels when I was little, I didn't even know who she was up until a couple years ago. Who is this Farrah sex symbol woman???

What amused me from what I've learned is her relationship with Ryan O'Neal. To have a love that remains true for decades, with or without marriage, is truly special, but to have that happen in Hollywood Land? That's unheard of. My heart goes out to Mr. O'Neal and Farrah's loved ones. I'll have a drink for you and Michael tonight. It may not be alcoholic, but it'll be a drink.

Michael Jackson is Dead

Michael Jackson is dead. Michael Jackson is dead... I've said these four words countless times today, but it still sounds so strange. It's not getting into my head. How can a legend, the "King of Pop", an iconic figure for so many across the globe, a man who has influenced and inspired music and dance in so many ways, a person who has been a small part of my life from childhood to adulthood be... gone? It's Michael Jackson! He can't die! It sounds absurd. He was supposed to keep changing his appearance and eventually become immortal...

As strange and unstable as he was mentally and physically, I still admire him because of his talent and the gift he gave to the world. He was an extraordinary individual who will be truly missed by fans everywhere.

I wonder what's going to happen to all of his assets. And his children. And his concert ticket holders... But wouldn't it be something if he was actually NOT dead and this was all a stunt for his upcoming concerts?! I think I'm secretly... well not so secretly now... hoping that he's just pulling a fast one on us and really isn't dead. I can already imagine people claiming to have sighted Michael Jackson alive! Maybe he'll be hanging out with Elvis. Who knows.

Palin vs. Letterman

I think Sarah Palin and David Letterman need to calm the heck down and stop bitching like two little girls. It was a tasteless joke, but I think the uber smart Sarah Palin took it out of proportion. If I had to take sides, I think Letterman will be the victor on this one. Quiet down now, kids.

David Carradine Found Dead

I was shocked to see in the news today that David Carradine was found dead hanging from the ceiling of his hotel room in Bangkok yesterday. I've never followed his career and the only movies I've seen him in are the Kill Bill movies, but I think I'm correct in saying that he was all about nature, tranquility, zen, stuff like that? And to die in this fashion just seems out of character! Or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about and my 94 bug bites is making me a little crazy. Or maybe I shouldn't take what I see on the big screen and think it's real life!

That reminds me of a story one of my kinesiology teachers told us a long time ago. I took his walking class (yes, I took walking! Stop laughing!!), but he was also the wrestling coach. One day, two girls went up to him and asked him if Bailey was a good wrestler. He was confused. Who is Bailey? The girls explained, "You know, he's on 'Party of Five' and is on your wrestling team."

HA!!

Wow. There are some stupid people out there, and these two girls get gold stars for being the stupidest of the bunch.


So to explain the story a bit, Bailey, the character from this show, was supposedly a wrestler on the SFSU's wrestling team. These idiot girls thought he's actually on the real team that exists in real life... I wonder what those girls are doing now...

Luckiest Guy This Week

Okay. So I'm somewhat of an American Idol fan. My dad loves it, so I watch too. I've sort of been following this season, and have seen some pretty good stuff... and crazy stuff. Remember Tatiana and Norman? OMG. So this season's shocker is Kris Allen getting into the finals. His vocals definitely aren't in the same league as the other two semi-finalists, Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey, but he's got the looks. If he never revealed that he is married, I think he may be the winner this year! But he is not single and cannot mingle, so I'm biting my nails until next Tuesday. It's going to be goooooood! So if you're not in the loop of things, here are a few pics I found online.

Kris Allen - the cutest of the three. I personally thought Matt had more sex appeal, but he's gone. :( So anyway, he should feel like the luckiest guy this week. Making it to the finals and all... Good luck, Kris! You'll need it!!


Danny Gokey - He's cute in a way, but looks much better when he doesn't smile. Looks like his tongue is pushing out of his mouth when he does! But he seems super nice though. :) I hope he does well with his career.


Adam Lambert - The favorite of this season. Though he looks like a young version of Elizabeth Taylor, he can sing like a mofo. And he's done a super job on all of the different genres that I've seen.

Alrighty! Can't wait until the finale!!

Happy Belated Earth Day!

Happy belated Earth Day, everyone! I hope this year will bring you lots of fresh air, an abundance of clean water, and moderate climate! Aaaaand... go conserve, reuse and recycle! And stop wasting water!! :D

Why Ya Gotta be an Asshole?

I just gotta say one thing. Aubrey Coleman is a really big asshole.

A Bright Future

Out with the old... and really really bad, and in with the new!! Congratulations, President Obama!! I can't believe it! What an awesome milestone to reach, and it's great to see that not everyone who lives in the US is stupid. Well, lemme take that back. I don't think a lot of people who live along the two coasts are stupid. Everyone else in the middle, I'm not too sure of. :) And to see the National Mall packed with 1.5 million people was very touching. Obama has the support of the people and our hopes ride with him. Well, I hope with this new presidency, good change will quickly follow. We are in dire need of a relief from this economic shutdown! Good luck!!

"Sea Kittens??" Are You Kidding Me????

PETA people are so stupid. Don't they have better things to do?? They have launched a campaign trying to rename fish by calling them "Sea Kittens," hoping to create an emotional relationship between people and these water dwellers. Is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?? Fish is fish. I like the fish I eat and I'm not gonna develop remorse for eating the damn fish. Damnit, PETA!!! Leave us meat eaters alone!!

I found this image on a forum on reddit. I thought it's so funny and ridiculous.

So if we adopt this new term, should I say that I love to eat kittens?? Stupid PETA. Buncha idiots.